JILTED Jasper Cillessen last night said sorry to Louis van Gaal – despite being humiliated by the Holland manager at the climax of the incredible World Cup clash with Costa Rica.

The Ajax keeper was the victim of an astonishing – yet ultimately correct – decision made by the new Manchester United boss in the final seconds of extra time in Salvador as the Dutch advanced to a semi-final clash with Argentina.

Van Gaal had plotted all along that if the quarter-final against the Ticos was destined for a penalty shootout he would put Newcastle’s Tim Krul on for the spot-kicks.

Cillessen, however, was not told of the plan.

With the referee set to blow for full-time in extra time van Gaal made the switch to the shock of the regular No.1. Cillessen who had seconds earlier made a superb save from sub Marcos Urena to keep his team in the game. Cillessen booted over water bottles in the technical area as he made for the bench.

The Amsterdam ArenA kid recovered his composure for the shootout and was one of the first on the scene to congratulate his replacement after saves from Bryan Ruiz and Michael Umana helped his nation through.

Cillessen last night admitted his reaction was out of order and said: “I have apologised to the coach.

“Now I am going to do it in front of the whole squad of players because I have set myself above the group with such a reaction.

“We have to do it all together here. It is ultimately about us. It was an important time so it was a good change and Tim did a fantastic job.”

Van Gaal’s move stunned the watching world but the coach had decided before the match the greater height and reach of the St James’s Park ace merited the switch.

He said: “We all thought Tim was the best keeper to stop penalties and it worked out. That was beautiful and I’m a bit proud of that.”

Krul savoured his moment in the spotlight and embarked on a course of gamesmanship, mouthing at Costa Rica players before their kicks and trying to get inside their heads.

Ruiz and Umana couldn’t cope and Krul said: “I psyched them out.

“You try to do everything you can without being too aggressive. I tried to get in their minds.

“It is something I have dreamed about since I was a little boy, to have that moment when you make the crucial save and then all the boys are running towards you.”

Despite Krul’s match-winning saves he will be back on the bench for the semi-final.

Van Gaal said: “There is no question about who will start the next game, it will be Cillessen. But we felt Krul was the better choice here.

”We told Krul that he would be a possibility for the penalties but we didn’t tell Cillessen as we didn’t want to ruin his preparation.

“We have practised penalties. I believe when you’re used to a certain shot you’ll be more comfortable taking that shot.”

Costa Rica midfielder Celso Borges said of the goalkeeping change: “I have never seen something like that. But they were right, he did his job.”

Van Gaal’s monumental call put his reputation on the line in front of watching billions and he was heralded a genius in his homeland.The positive headlines represent quite a change for van Gaal who made his reputation as coach of the young Ajax side that won the 1995 Champions League but tarnished it in his first spell in charge of the national side when they failed to qualify for the 2002 finals to scathing criticism.

None of the Dutch media was able to match the play on words by former Dutch international twins Frank and Ronald de Boer who tweeted: “Louis van G(eni)aal.”

However, they still delivered unstinting praise.

Major daily De Telegraf said: “In sport, at the highest level, success can be decided by the thinnest of margins. Sometimes it stems from luck, sometimes from a sixth sense.”

Another Dutch daily, Volkskrant, also heaped superlatives on the 62-year-old coach who is due to step down and take over the reins at Old Trafford.

“The change was a masterstroke,” it said, “because Tim Krul saved two penalties.”

Dutch TV station NOS also chimed in with admiring comments. “Contrary to all expectations, Louis van Gaal replaced Cillessen by Tim Krul for the penalties.

“Tim turned out to be the hero by saving two of them.”

Dirk Kuyt summed up the mood of the other members of the squad when he said: “Tim is amazing.

“It’s not easy to come on in the last minute of the game and face penalties. But we know he is a very good penalty saver and the way he did it was amazing.

“He can be proud of himself and we can be proud of Tim. I think the whole country is proud of him.”